Printing-press.



' PATENTED DEC. 27, .1904.

- W. H. SMILEY.

PRINTING PRESS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 14,1993.

WITNESSES; [NVE/vmk mzzzwm flaflade No. 778,338. I 'PATBNTED DEC. 27,1904.

. :W-. H. SMILEY.

PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY14,1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Attorney Patented December 27, 1904. I

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. SMILEY, oE NILES, OHIO.

PRINTING-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,338, dated December27, 1904. Application filed July 14:, 1903. Serial No. 165,465.

To aZZ whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SMILEY, of Niles, in the county ofTrumbull and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Printing-Presses; andI do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

The object of this invention is to provide in a printing-press havingmeans for conveying the stock therethrough means for effecting a perfectregister between the stock and the conveying means before the lattertakes hold.

A further object is to provide in a press of the character stated meansfor efiecting a perfect register of the stock on the platen while holdthereon is retained by the conveying means; and a further object is toprovide for effecting such latter register in a multicolorpress.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularlypointed. out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective,illustrating my improvements, a portion only of a printing-press beingshown. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation. Fig. 3 shows a gripper-barbefore being moved to register. Fig. 4 shows it after being moved toregister. Fig. 5 shows the relative positions of the gripper andfeed-table gages before the former is returned to register. Fig. 6

shows the application of my invention in multicolor-printing.

The main characteristics of my invention reside in first effecting aperfect register between traveling gripper-bars and the stock while onthe feed-table and then after the stock has been transferred by' thegrippers across the face of the platen again moving it to perfectregister, although it is still retained by the gripper. The improvementis also applicable in multicolor or other work requiring a plurality ofimprints in one or more passages of the stock. Briefly stated, myinvention comprehends an endless conveyer traveling in one directiononly and carrying grippers, but temporarily arrested in its travel, andmeans for automatically effecting a perfect register between the stockand the grippers. while the forward travel of the latter is so arrested.

In all types of presses employing means for gripping the stock while inthe position where placed by hand or other means it is desirable toobtain an accurate register of the stock before the grippers closethereon. My invention further comprehends means for accomplishing thisend. This is attained by first slightly pushing the stock back by theengagement therewith of the grippers themselves or a stop or stopsbearing such relation thereto that the stock is moved into perfectregister before the closing of the grippers.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates two sprocket-chains engaging atsuitable points several sets of sprocket-wheels 2. i The upper rearmostset 3 of these wheels is mounted in a movable frame 1, which is normallyheld forward by suitable spring-pressure, as 5. This frame is engaged'bylevers 6, which under the action of a cam-roll 7 will force the framerearward a slight distance, regulated by the conformation of thecamsurfaces- These chains carry gripper-bars 8, which may be of anypreferred form of construction. Suffice it to say that, as shown in Fig.5, I find that highly-desirable results are attained by equipping eachgripper with upright pins 9, forming stops, and spring-pressed jaws 10,slotted 'to accommodate such stops and capable of being opened andclosed by any suitable trip mechanism, as indicated at 12, Fig. 1.

The grippers as they rise on the back flight of the chains-and begin totravel forward pass beneath a pivoted feed-table 13, which for thatpurpose is temporarily slightly raised at its lower forward end by anysuitable means actuated by the press mechanism, such as a lever 14,shifted by a cam 15.

The table at its forward end is equipped with forwardly 'eXtendedpointed lugs 15, preferably V shape in plan view. The gripperbars areformed with correspondinglyshaped notches or recesses 16. The stock whenpositioned on the feed-table is loosely held by gages 17. After agripper-bar has I moved forward sufiiciently far to clear the feed-tableand the latter has been lowered to its normal position the gripper-barsare by a retrograde movement brought into perfect register with thestock, the lugs of the feedtable coinciding perfectly with the notchesof the gripper-bars. In this movement the stock is slightly moved backby the engagement therewith of the stop-pins 9. Thus the stock is movedto register with the grippers before being caught by them, the latterclosing down thereon as soon as the gripper-bar after being moved toregister starts to resume its forward travel. Of course the stop orstops for effecting this register of the stock may be the grippersthemselves or a separate ,element or elements bearing the necessaryrelation thereto. To allow of the retrograde movement of the conveyer,itis necessary that at the proper moment the forward travel thereof shouldbe arrested. This is capable of accomplishment in various ways; but thatshown resides in having a blank segment. as at 18, in the periphery ofthe gear-wheel 19,

7 allowing the actuated gearwheel of the conveyer to remain temporarilyidle.

The sheet is carried forward by the grippers and down over the platen21, which latter remains stationary, the type-carrying bed (not shown)being alone movable. This platen is equipped at its sides withforwardly-projecting slightly-raised V lugs or stops 22, correspondingto those of the feed-table. Now the gripper-bars bear such relation toone another that as the second gripper-bar is brought into line with the\I-lugs 15 of the feed-table the forward gripper-bar bears the samerelation to the lugs of the platen, with the result that as theretrograde movement moves the second gripper-bar into register with thefeed table the first or forward gripper bar is moved into register withthe lugs of the platen. Thereupon the imprint is made, the stock beingheld by suitable fiappers (not shown) mounted above the platen. Thus itwill be seen that not only is the stock moved to register by thegrippers before being caught by the latter, but it is also moved toperfect register on the platen while still retained by the grippers.After the imprint is made the stock is carried forward and dropped atany desired point upon the gripper engaging a trip, as at 28.

I have shown in Fig. 6 two take-up wheels 24 engaging the conveyerchains between two platens. This is desirable where two separateimprints are required, as in multicolor-printing. The wheels 24 serve toremove any slack in the chains between the two gripper-bars, and thusinsure holding the forward one up against the lugs 25.

In operation the stock which is placed on the feed-table either by handor machinery is retained by springs 26 of the gages 17. This is notdisturbed by the slight raising of the table to allow the grippers topass thereunder. As a gripper comes in front of the table the latter islowered and the frame is caused to move backward, effecting a perfectregister with the stock before gripping it and by the time it is heldtight against the V-lng 1.3 of the table. A like reverse movement isimparted to each gripper-bar in being moved to register over the platenor platens, and the space between the several gripper-bars is such that,preferably, at least, as one is being moved to register with thefeed-table another is likewise being moved relatively to the platen.

I do not mean to be understood in the present application as confiningmyself to any special mechanism or arrangen'ient of parts for carryingmy invention into practice. It is obviousthat various means might beemployed and still be within the scope of the broad idea hereininvolved. .It is also obvious that the same results may be secured bymoving the feed-table into register with the grippers while the forwardtravel of the latter is arrested instead of moving them rcarwm'dlv intoengagen'ient with the table.

I claim as my invention 1. In a printingpress, in c nnbination, meansfor temporarily holding the stock, gri ppers for carrying the same tothe press-platen, such grippers being movable in approximate parallelismto the stock, means for temporarily arresting such grippers, and meansfor automatically effecting a register between the stock and thegrippers before the latter resume their forward travel, as set forth.

2. In a printing press, in combination, means for temporarily holdingthe stock, gri ppers for carrying the same to the press-platen, suchgrippers being movi blc first in approximate parallelism to the stock,and means for moving the grippers in a reverse direction into registerwith the stock before gripping and carrying the same forward,substantially as set forth.

3. In a printing-press, in combination, a movable feed-table, an endlessconveyer, grippers carried by the latter and normally movable forwardfrom, and in close relation to, such table, means for temporarilyarresting such 'conveyer and grippers, and means for automaticallyeffecting a register between the table and the grippers while theforward travel of the latter is arrested, as set forth.

I. In a printing-press, in combination, a feed-table, an endlessconveyor, grippers carried by the latter and normally movable forwardfrom, and in close relation to, such table, and means forauton'latically moving such grippers rearward into register with stockheld on such table, as set forth.

5. In a printing-press, in combination, a feed-table, having gagesagainst which the stock is temporarily positioned, an endless conveyor,grippers carried by the latter and normally movable forward from, and inclose relation to, such gages, and means for automatically moving suchgrippers rearward into register with the stock held by such gages, asset forth.

6. In a printing-press, in combination, a feed-tablehaving gages, anendless conveyer movable forward from beneath such table, gripperscarried by such conveyer, said conveyer being automatically arrested asthe grippers pass forward from beneath the table, and meansforautomatically moving the grippers into register with the stock whilethe conveyer is so arrested, as set forth.

7. In a printing-press, in combination, a feed-table having gages andforwardly-extended lugs, an endless conveyer movable forward frombeneath such table, grippers, bars therefor carried by said conveyerhaving notches therein, said conveyer being automatically arrested asthe gripper-bars pass forward from beneath the table, and means forautomatically movingthe gripper-bars rearward to cause said notches toregister with said lugs, substantially as set forth.

8. In a printing-press having a platen and stops thereon, incombination, a series of gripper-bars movable over such platen, suchbars being arrested after passing such stops, and means forautomatically'moving the gripperbars rearward-into register with saidstops, as set forth.

9. In a printing-press having a platen, in combination, a series ofgripper-bars movable over such platen and having notches therein,

said bars being arrested after passing such stops, and means forautomatically moving the gripper-bars rearward to cause their notches toaline with said stops before resuming their forward travel, as setforth.

10. In a printing-press, in combination,-

moving thev grippers in a reverse direction into register with the stockand the stops before resuming their forward travel, as set forth.

11. In a printing-press, in combination, a

feed-table having gages and forwardly-ex:

I tended lugs, a platen having forwardly-extended stops, a series ofgripper-bars movable forward beneath said table and over said platen,each bar having notches therein, saidseries of gripper-bars, endlesschains carrying the same, sprocket-wheels therefor, a movable frame forone. set of such wheels, a feed-table having gages, said table beinglocated above the forward flight of such chains, means for operating thechains,such means automatically arresting the chains as a gripper-barpasses clear of such feed-table, and means for then series ofgripper-bars, endless chains carrying the same, sprocket-wheelstherefor, a movable frame for one set of such wheels, a feed-tablehaving gages, said table being located above I the forward flight ofsuch chains, the platen having stops, means for operating the chains,such means automatically arresting the chains as the severalgripper-bars pass clear of such feed-table and stops, and means for thenmoving such frame rearward to effecta register between the grippers ofone bar and the stock and between a second gripper-bar and the stops ofthe platen, substantially as set forth.

14. In a printingpress,in combination,plat ens having two series ofstops, a series of gripper-bars movable over such platens, suchgripper-bars being arrested after passing such stops, means for thenmoving such bars into register with said stops, and means intermediatethe two series of stops for insuring the register between onegripper-bar and one set of stops, substantially as set forth.

- 15. In a printingpress, in combination, means for temporarily holdingthe stock, a series of grippers,- endless conveyers therefor, stops onthe platen with which the grippers are designed to register, means-fortemporarily arresting such grippers, and means for automaticallyefiecting a register between the stock and one set of grippers while aforward set of grippers is moved to register with the stops of theplaten, as set forth.

16. In combination with a platen printingpress and a feed-table whereonthe stock is positioned, grippers for positioning the stock relative tothe platen, said grippers being designed to first move the stock toregister before gripping, and means for, first, so moving the grippersto register the stock, and then to position the stock on the platenready for printing. Y

17. The combination with a platen printingpress, and a feed-tablewhereon the stock is positioned, of grippers for positioning the stockready for printing, a stop or stops carried by the grippers for engagingthe forward end of the stock and moving it to register before thegrippers close thereon, and means for moving the stops to register thestock and then tocause the grippers to position the stock ready forprinting.

18. In combination with a platen printing press and a feed-table whereonthe stock is positioned, grippers for positioning the stock relative tothe platen, said grippers carrying IIO stops for engaging the stock andmoving it specification in the presence of two subscribto reglsterbefore the grippers close thereon, ing wltnesses. and means for first somoving the grippers I T y f and stops, and then, after the grippers have'ILLIAM bMHJbA 5 closed, to position the stock on the platen WVitnesses:

ready for printing. LUCILE MATTHmvs,

In testimony whereof I have signed this JEAN VAIL.

